Colt Model 1860 Army Richards Conversion .44 Colt 5.5" Single Action Revolver 1871 Antique

View Item in Catalog
 
  Lot #195  (Sale Order: 195 of 674) 
PASSED
This lot was not sold.
Reserve Not Met
"Tax, Shipping & Handling and Internet Premium not included. See Auction Information for full details."

Payment Type:

Payment Type: Please Add / Select Card

Need help with bidding? Get Help


 
Description Terms of Sale
Item Description: Translate description
Make: Colt

Model: Richards Conversion of Colt Model 1860 Army

Serial Number: 190380

Year of Manufacture: 1871

Caliber: .44 Colt (This cartridge used a heeled, outside lubricated 0.451” diameter bullet, firing a soft lead 225 grain bullet at about 640 fps. It was the predecessor to the .45 Colt cartridge.).

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate

Markings: The underside of the barrel, frame and grip frame are marked “190380”. The bottom of the backstrap is marked “190 / 380”. The left side of the frame is marked “COLTS / PATENT”. The top of the barrel is marked “ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA”. The cylinder is marked “COLTS PATENT NO 0380”, “ENGAGED 16 MAY 1843” and with a naval battle scene. . The left of the trigger guard rear is marked 44 CAL”.

Barrel Length: The round barrel is 5.5” in length.

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a brass blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a “V” notch in a raised boss in the top of the breech plate fitted to the frame behind the cylinder.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is a one piece lacquered smooth walnut. Both sides and the bottoms of the grip shows areas of finish loss Over all thes grip is in good condition

Type of Finish: In The White-The barrel, cylinder and backstrap were blued, the frame, hammer and lever were case colored and the trigger guard is brass.

Finish Originality: The finish is original.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray and mottled with surface rust.. The rifling is softened. There are spots of light erosion scattered throughout the bore. The bor rates at 6/10 in this writer’s opinion.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 2% of its Blued metal finish. There are traces of bluing at the back of the barrel and on its underside below the ejector rod housing. The gun is mostly in the white.The trigger guard also shows a few spots of dark tarnish. Most of the screw heads are tooled with serviable slots. The markings are clear except for the naval battle scene on the cylinder, which isveiwable but faint. Overall, this handgun rates in about Good condition.

Mechanics: The frame has 3 screws and a loading gate built into the right side of the breech plate. An ejector rod housing is built into the barrel where the loading lever would have been located. The action functions normally. The hammer has a half-cock position. The barrel is tight to the frame, the trigger pull is light and crisp and the cylinder lockup tiny amount of play. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: One leather holster and belt rig comes with the revolver.

Our Assessment:“The Colt Army Model 1860 was a muzzle-loaded cap & ball .44-caliber revolver used during the American Civil War. It was used as a side arm by cavalry, infantry, artillery troops, and naval forces, and was the most widely used revolver of the war. The Colt 1860 Army uses the same size frame as the .36 caliber 1851 Navy revolver, but with a relieved frame for the larger rebated cylinder and a shorter forcing cone on the barrel that allows for a longer cylinder.” After the Civil War, Colt had to wait until Smith & Wesson’s patent on bored-through cylinders expired to take advantage of metallic cartridges. One of their employees, Charles Richards, was awarded a patent in 1871 for converting Colt percussion models to breech loading cartridge revolvers. In order to take advantage of the barrels they already had chambered for .44 cap and ball (bore diameter 0.454”), Colt developed a new cartridge, the .44 Colt, which used a soft lead outside lubricated heeled bullet that would expand into the barrel grooves. The ballistic performance of the .44 Colt is comparable to the .44 Remington, and less powerful than modern .44 Russian loads. Cases for the modern “.44 Colt” chambered handguns are typically made using trimmed .44 Magnum, .44 Special, or .44 Russian brass and a historically inaccurate .429 lead bullet. Colt manufactured about 9000 of the Richards Converted revolvers between 1873 and 1878.

This Richards Converted Model 1860 Army revolver has all matching numbers on its barrel, frame, trigger guard, backstrap and cylinder. It is in about Good condition with about 2% of its original finish remaining. This revolver is an important part of American history and will make an excellent addition to anyone’s collection. A number of factors combine to make the Colt “conversions” popular with collectors: they were all produced during the colorful 1870s and have a good association with the Old West. No Cowboy is complete without his gun.

Unable to retrieve AutoCheck Summary Report, please try back later.


Summary Vehicle History Report below provided by AutoCheck.

AutoCheck® vehicle history reports deliver information on reported accidents, odometer rollback, lemon vehicles, branded titles and much more.

AutoCheck found record(s) for this   


VIN:

Style/Body:

Engine:


Get the full report to learn more:

Know the exact vehicle you want? One report may be all you need.  Single Report $24.99

Researching more than one vehicle? Run as many reports as you like for 21 days Unlimited Reports for 21 Days $44.99
This item is part of Lock Stock & Barrel Premier Auction #3 - Cody, WY
 Saturday, Mar 1, 2025 | 9:00 AM  Mountain
 
Print This Page

Colt Model 1860 Army Richards Conversion .44 Colt 5.5" Single Action Revolver 1871 Antique
Colt Model 1860 Army Richards Conversion .44 Colt 5.5" Single Action Revolver 1871 Antique
Lot number: 195
Seller: Lock Stock & Barrel Auctions
Event: Lock Stock & Barrel Premier Auction #3 - Cody, WY
Ends: Saturday, March 1 | 9:00 AM  Mountain

Message: 500 characters remaining

Cancel 

1.178.0.1774.cf7307d.25.75